Machine for automatically setting up cartons



Feb. 6, 1968 M. DUBESSET 3,367,247

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS FIG] Feb. 6, 1968 M. DUBESSET 3,367,247

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS Filed July so, 1965 7 $heets$het '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Feb. 6, 1968 M. DUBESSET MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS Filed July 30, 1965 1968 M. DuBEssEfi" 3,367,247

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS Filed July 30, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 M. DUBESSET Feb. 6, 1968 MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 30, 1965 Feb. 6, 1968 M. DUBESSET 3,367,247

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP GARTONS Filed July 30, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 1968 M. DUBESSET 3,367,247

MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTONS Filed July 30, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 FIG. l5

United States Patent 3,367,247 MAG-IINE FGR AUTGMATICALLY SETTING UP CARTUNS Michel Duhesset, Compiegne, France, assignor to Societe anonyme dite: Ateliers de Construction de Compiegne, Compiegne, France Filed July 30, 1965, Ser. No. 475,994 Claims priority, application France, June 18, 1965, 21,475, Patent 1,455,164 8 Claims. (Cl. 9353) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for unfolding and setting up cartons which comprises a series of square plates mounted on three endless chains one of which is horizontally spaced from the other two in the direction of movement. Each of these plates takes the carton positioned at the end of a stack and lifts it vertically to the top of the device, then moves it horizontally while it is being opened upTOpening guides receive a folded carton and suction means which holds the rear face of the carton being set up. Swinging means actuated by jacks successively open up the carton and bend a rear and a front flap inwardly to form a bottom and then bend another front flap toward the opposite side, the remaining horizontal and vertical flaps being then bent in the desired direction by suitably positioned ramps in a conventional manner.

This invention relates to cardboard cartons which are currently used to package manufactured articles. Such cartons are customarily delivered flat, diagonally folded, with the bottom and top flaps in alignment with their sides. This makes it possible to supply and store large quantities in a small space. When the boxes are to be filled it is always necessary to first open up the carton and fold in the end flaps, which is usually done by hand.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine which can receive a very large quantity of folded cartons and automatically open them up and prepare them to receive their ultimate contents at a predetermined speed, without any manual handling of the cartons.

The machine according to the invention comprises feeding means for supplying an automatic opening and setting up device.

The feeding means comprises a horizontal passageway in which a stack of folded cartons is placed, each carton being vertically positioned with its creases horizontal. These cartons are pushed toward the adjacent end of the unfolding and setting up means by a carriage which moves on slide ways and is driven by two endless chains, which are themselves driven by means supplying a driving force which is constant or which decreases slightly as the weight of the pile of cartons decreases. This drive means preferably consists of two jacks powered by compressed air which actuate alternately one or the other of the chains, the pressure supplied to these jacks being derived from a reservoir placed under pressure each time the feed means is reloaded, and the pressure in which decreases gradually as the cartons advance. An intermediate carriage may be inserted between the pile of cartons and the aforementioned carriage, and attached to the chains so that the cartons continue to be fed along with the same force while the first carriage is being drawn back for reloading.

The unfolding and setting up means comprises a device for picking up and advancing cartons which in turn comprises a series of square plates mounted on three endless chains one of which is horizontally spaced from the other two in the direction of movement. Each of these plates takes the carton positioned at the end of the stack and lifts it vertically to the top of the device, then moves it horizontally while it is being opened up. The opening or setting up means itself comprises opening guides which receive a folded carton and suction means which holds the rear face of the carton being set up. Swinging means actuated by jacks successively open up the carton and bend a rear and a front flap inwardly to form a bottom and then bend another front flap toward the opposite side, the remaining horizontal and vertical flaps being then bent in the desired direction by suitably positioned ramps in a conventional manner.

The invention also relates to several improvements in the apparatus which will be better understood from a reading of the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the successive shapes assumed by each carton as it is being set up;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the machine as a whole;

FIG. 6 is a detail view, showing on a larger scale a portion of FIG. 5 to which the arrow VI points;

FIG. 7 is a detail view, showing on a larger scale a portion of FIG. 5 to which the arrow VII points;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the part VIII of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a partial vertical section taken along the line IXIX of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 shows schematically in perspective the means for introducing and advancing the cartons;

FIG. 11 is a detail view, taken in section along the line XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a detail view showing on an enlarged scale the mechanism at the end of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a perspective View showing in detail the square plates;

FIG. 14 is a partial horizontal section showing in detail the opening guide; and

FIG. 15 is a partial top plan view of the setting up mechanism.

The cartons are received folded in the form shown in FIG. 1, and are positioned vertically on the machine with their creases horizontal. These cartons have a rear face 1, an upper face 2 in alignment with the face 1 and above it, as well as a front face 3, with a bottom face 4 in alignment with and below the face 3. Each of these four faces carries fiaps at each end which are designated by reference numerals 5, 6, 7 and 8 when at the bottom end and 9, 10, 11 and 12 at the open end of the box.

The rear face 1 of the cartons must first be held stationary while the faces 2 and 4 are bent into a horizontal position, the blank acting like a parallelogram linkage, as shown in broken lines on FIG. 1, until the blank reaches the position shown in FIG. 2. Then the flaps 5 and 7, followed by the fiaps 6 and 8, must be folded inwardly to form the bottom, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Finally the fiaps 9 and 11, and possibly the flaps 16 and 12, must be bent outward to facilitate filling the carton.

The machine according to the invention, shown as a whole on FIG. 5, comprises feed means 13 positioned at the left of the figure, which supplies with folded boxes an opening and setting up device 14 shown at the right of the figure.

The feed means 13 receives a stack 15 of folded cartons such as those shown in FIG. 1, all oriented in the same direction, this stack being quite long so as to permit the machine to deliver a substantial quantity of cartons without having to be too frequently reloaded. The folded cartons, which may be of any of several types, are simply positioned on a slideway formed by two angle irons 16 shown on FIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the space between which may be adjusted to suit the size of the cartons.

A carriage 17 is provided to advance the cartons toward the opening and setting up means, and is mounted on a rollers 18 and 19 (see FIG. 8) which roll along runways formed by the inner edges of rails 22, one of which may be seen in section on FIG. 9. Two endless chains 23 of the roller type are positioned on opposite sides of the sprockets 24 and 25 which are connected in pairs to the end of a common axle which turns freely in suitable bearings. The upper portion of the path traversed by these chains extends along the outer edge of the rails 22, while the lower portion of their path extends along a second rail 26 mounted beneath the other, excepting in both cases the path segments engaged by the sprockets.

Beneath each chain is a jack 27 actuated by compressed air. The rod 28 of this jack actuates a small carriage 29, shown best on FIG. 7, which carries a pawl 30 which is biased by a draw spring 31 to catch in the links of the chain when the carriage moves toward the left of the figure, thus drawing both chains in the direction indicated by the arrow 32. Conversely, when the jack 27 moves the carriage in the opposite direction to return it to its original position, the pawl 30 falls away from the chain. In practice, the two jacks 27 are actuated alternately so that the reverse movement of one never coincides with the reverse movement of the other and there is always a forward pressure on the assembly comprising the two chains which corresponds to the air pressure supplied to the jacks.

Each chain drives the carriage 17 through the two hooks 33, each of which turns about a pin 34 and is fixed to an arm 35 which, when pushed forward, connects the carriage to the chains, thereby enabling it to advance the stack of cartons. Conversely, when the arm 35 is moved toward the left of the figure, the books 35 are disengaged from the two chains and the carriage is moved toward the end of the machine.

In order to enable the feed means 13 to continue to feed the setting up device, even during reloading periods, a second carriage 36 is provided, which rides on rollers 37 analogous to rollers 18 and 19 of the first-mentioned carriage. These rollers travel on the same rails 26 and 21. The carriage carries on each side a lever 39 mounted on an axle 38 parallel to the direction of movement, which axle is pivotally mounted on the carriage. The upper end of the lever 39 terminates in a handle 40 and carries a laterally adjustable plate 41. The lower part of the lever 39 carries, below the shaft 38, a hook 42 which may be inserted between the links of the chain 23.

In this way, by swinging the two levers symmetrically to bring them toward each other, the plates 41 may be inserted between the end of the stack and the pressure surface of the carriage 17, while at the same time the hooks 42 are engaged in the corresponding chains. This makes it possible to release the carriage 17 by pulling on the handle 35, while the stack of cartons nevertheless continues to be driven forward by the carriage 36, with the same applied force. Conversely, once a new stack has been positioned between the carriage 36 and the carriage 17, the latter carriage is brought back into service by pushing on the handle 35 while separating the two levers 39 so that the inclined edges of the plates 41 clear the stack.

This feed means also makes it possible to hold a substantial reserve of folded cartons. However, in this case the force urging the first carton of the stack against the vertical face of the unfolding means 14 is equal to the force exerted by the jacks 27 diminished by the friction between the stack 15 and the angle irons 16, which friction may afford considerable resistance if the load is long. To compensate for this friction it is necessary to supply the jacks 27 at a pressure which is greater when the stack is longest and which decreases progressively, as the stack advances.

This result is easily obtained in accordance with the invention by supplying the jacks 27 through an accumulator (not shown) which is fed compressed air only at the beginning of each loading period, after which air is no longer supplied, so that the pressure gradually decreases as the stack is advanced.

The first carton of the stack being advanced by the feed means comes to bear against a vertical face on theunfolding apparatus 14. This carton is picked up individually and moved vertically to the upper part of the apparatus, where it is unfolded and moved horizontally to the end of the apparatus. These vertical and horizontal movements, first of the folded and then of the unfolded carton, are caused by a series of pairs of coupled plates 43 having rectangular bent-up tapered ends 44, which plates serve as carriers for the blanks. These plates43 are mounted on elongated supports 45, each pivotally mounted by means of a shaft 46 on an endless chain 47 extending axially of the apparatus and by means of shaft 48 on a similar chain 49, there being one shaft 48 and one chain 49 for each plate 43.

As best seen in FIG. 10, the three endless chains 47 and 49 travel in substantially rectangular paths of the same dimensions over a series of sprockets 50, and guides 51 at the right of the chain 47. Consequently all of the supports 45, which are regularly spaced along these chains, travel in paths which are essentially rectangular but have rounded corners.

In order to prevent the cartons from being advanced prematurely, before the end of their vertical movement, due to the rounded part of the path of travel at each corner, the plates 43 best seen on FIGS. 12 and 13, are so mounted on the supports 45 that they may slide axially therealong for a limited distance. Consequently when these plates arrive at the vertical part of the path of travel they are pushed backward by an appropriate abutment shown schematically by the line 52 at the left of FIG. 12. The tapered parts 44 perpendicular to the plates 43 may then during the vertical movement enter between the first and second cartons of the stack and lift the first carton vertically to the upper level, before advancing it to be opened up. In effect, because of the sliding movement of the plates 43 on their supports 45, the ends of these plates travel in a rectangular path while the supports travel along a path having curved corners.

The chain 47 returns from the end of the machine at the right of the figure, over slideways 51, since it would be diflrcult to provide a pinion with an axle turning in bearings and a support for these bearings in the space available between the two supports 45. One of these plates is shown in section on FIG. 11, which shows how the chain of rollers 47 is guided.

The assembly comprising the three chains 47 and 49 comprises a series of paired supports 45 and plates 43 regularly spaced, and is started by mechanical means acting on one or more of the rollers of the chain 50. This transmission, schematically shown on FIG. 5, comprises a gear box 53 which includes a maltese cross mechanism driven by a motor 54 which drives the chains intermittently with progressively starting and progressive slowing followed by 'a period of stopping. With a four branched maltese cross, for example, and a two handle control box, the time stopped is substantially equal to the time in motion. During the stopped periods, the distributor 55, driven from the same motor, actuates the various elements of the unfolding and box forming mechanism.

This unfolding and forming mechanism, seen best on FIG. 15, comprises two vertical slideways 56 between which the cartons slide when pushed by the plates 43.

These cartons then pass by a series of suction means 57 mounted on a support 58 pivoted on pins 59 and carrying at its base a roller 60. This arrangement prevents the cartons from bending back the lips of the suction means. In etfect,-the suction means 57 are mounted at a level slightly setback from that of the roller 60, so that when a carton arrives it encounters the roller 60 and lifts the support 58, while moving it backward because of the inclination of the pins 59, and it is only when the lower part of the carton rises above the level of the roller 60 that the support 58 can fall back, so that the suction means will come in contact with the carton.

At this moment, as has been seen, the driving mechanism stops and the distributor 55 starts the unfolding and forming process, and in order to apply suction to the suction means 57 connects them through an electrically operated air-valve to a suitable suction pump. A jack 61 then swings a shutter 62, which is normally vertical, into the position shown in FIG. 5. At the same time, in order to permit the cartons to open up, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slides 56 are made in parts, each pivoted on an angle iron, as shown in FIG. 14, with the fixed portion 56a positioned on the same side as the feed means and the part 56b, which turns about an axle 63, positioned on the same side as the unfolding and forming means. The part 56b is urged by a spring (not shown) toward the position shown on FIG. 14, and is opened by an airactuated jack, the piston rod of which is fixed to an angle member 64 which passes through a suitable slot in the fixed member 56a, and the vertical arm 65 of which presses against the part 56b to open it, as shown in broken lines on FIG. 14.

While the face 1 of the carton is held by the suction means 57, the remainder thereof is then released and the carton is swung like a parallelogram linkage by the shutter 62. However, in order to prevent the carton from simply folding up instead of acting like a parallelogram linkage, the parallelogram motion is initiated by pressure exerted against the flaps 8 and 12 by the end 66 of the horizontal arm 67 of the angle member 64. The end 66 comes to bear on the flaps 8 and 12, while extending through the space between the flaps 5 and 6 or 9 and 10. The member 64 is so shaped that the end 66 acts on the corresponding flap only after the part 65 has completely opened the part 56b.

Once the carton has assumed the shape shown on FIG. 2, a jack 68 swings a small shutter 69, which folds the flap 5 inwardly, after which another member 70, pivotally carried on an axle 61 and actuated by a jack 72 holds this flap 5 in position while at the same time folding in the opposite flap 7. On the other side, a shoe 73 at the end of parallelogram linkage 74 and actuated by a jack 75 moves in the direction of the arrow 76 to bend the flap 11 outwardly as shown in FIG. 15.

All of these operations take place while the drive means 53 is stationary and terminate when the drive means resumes its forward motion for a distance corresponding to the space between two of the pairs of plates 43 on the chains 47 and 49. Consequently, the next movement of these chains, which advances another carton along the slideways 56, also advances a carton which is being unfolded in the direction of the arrow 77. Naturally, just before this advance the distributor 55 acts to cut off the supply to the suction means 57 and just after it the distributor cuts off the pressure supplied to the jacks of the members 64, so as to retract them and permit the guides 56 to close to receive the next folded carton.

When the carton being unfolded and formed has advanced far enough, its flap 9 encounters the shoe 73 and is bent back. The carton then has the shape shown in FIG. 3. After moving to the end of the machine, the carton encounters fixed ramps which fold the flaps 6 and 8 inwardly in a conventional manner, as shown in FIG. 4, while the flaps and 12 may also be folded inwardly, if so desired, or left in alignment with the faces of the carton to which they are attached. At the end of the machine the carton is therefore in the shape shown on FIG. 4 and may be picked up by hand, or by a suitable machine, to be filled and sealed.

It will thus be seen that the machine according to the invention provides for the rapid unfolding and forming of cartons, and that all of the fixed and movable parts of both the feed means 13 and the unfolding and forming means 14, are adjustable to suit the size of the carton so as to permit it to rapidly unfold and form any kind of carton. The specific means for introducing and advancing which has been described need not be adjusted unless its width is smaller than the smallest dimension of the cartons to be unfolded or the space between the two square plates 44 is less than the maximum length of the cartons plus the width of a carton (flap at the front opening of one carton plus the flap at the rear opening of the preceding carton). Simple adjustments of the slideways then make it possible to shift quickly from one shape to another.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing embodiment may be modified as to detail without thereby departing from the basic principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for unfolding and setting up folded box blanks of the type having four substantially rectangular faces, each face carrying a flap projecting from each of two diametrically opposed edges and being joined at each of its other edges to one of the other two sides to form therewith a continuous band, said blank being received in the form of a flattened parallelogram with one pair of adjacent faces superimposed on the other, said machine comprising first drive means for advancing a stack of such blanks in a first direction transverse to the major dimensions thereof, carrier means for picking up a blank from said stack so that it may be displaced transversely to said first direction into a predetermined position, suction means for holding one face of a displaced blank in said predetermined position, lever means for pushing on the face paired with said held face to swing said paired face into a position perpendicular to said held face, thereby opening up said blank, means for swinging those flaps projecting in one direction from said faces into a position perpendicular to said faces to form a bottom for said box, and second drive means for displacing said carrier means to bring said blank into said predetermined position and thereafter advance said blank in a direction generally parallel to said first direction.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said first drive means comprises a carriage for pushing against said blanks, two endless chains connected to said carriage, two independent alternately actuated air operated jacks, and ratchet means through which each jack is connected to drive one of said chains, so that carriage is driven by both of said jacks successively.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 comprising an auxiliary carriage, means for connecting said carriage to be driven by said chains, and means on said carriage which are movable into and out of a position between said first mentioned carriage and at least most of said stack and exert pressure on said stack, so that said first mentioned carriage may be moved away from said stack to accommodate an additional load.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which said jacks are supplied through a pressure accumulator, which is charged each time a stack of blanks is positioned on said machine, so that as the number of blanks in said stack decreases, the pressure exerted by said jacks diminishes.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising endless chains means for advancing said carrier means, said endless chain means being mounted to travel in a path in the form of a rectangle having rounded corners, said carrier means being slidably mounted on said endless chain means so that it may follow a perfectly rectangular path while said chain means is traversing the rounded corners of its path.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said suction means are pivotally mounted so that they may be swung away from the path travelled by said blanks.

'7. A machine as claimed in claim 1 comprising guide means acting on said one face of said blank and on a superposed face thereof which guide said :blank between them as it is being displaced transversely to said first direction, the guide means acting on said superposed face of said blank being pivotally mounted, so that it may be swung away from said blank to permit said superposed face to swing away from said one face while said one face is held by said suction means.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 1 in which said drive means are intermittently actuated through a maltese cross No references cited.

BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner. 

